As someone who’s becoming somewhat seen as an opinion leader within the break-in screenwriting world, I get approached by people all the time asking me to judge competition entries, read books, and try out thir software. I almost always say no because their business operation is often predatory and against the interests of my peers. I’m a working writer-producer so I know what actually makes a difference and perhaps that’s why Prewrite caused me to stop in my tracks and give it a second glance - CJ

Rockstar member John Ellis, an all round great guy and long-time member of Script Revolution, has been attending our Shootin' The Sh*t with Shane meetings on Zoom during lockdown. As a result of talking in depth with a long-time established producer, John has had a revelation of sorts which has caused him to re-evaluate his core goals behind screenwriting and break out of momentum paralysis by making an essential pivot and finding a new route to his destination - CJ

Yes, we all know the rehearsed phrase by now, “Final Draft is the industry standard!”, an axiom it seems many screenwriters feel obliged to screech at anyone who dares ask what the best piece of software is to turn our day-dreaming into a full fleshed out, Hollywood ready, screenplay. However, as artists always looking to improve our craft, we owe it to ourselves to explore the other options out there - CJ

For anyone shooting on film, it would be considered crazy not to take the selection, transport, and storage of film stock incredibly seriously. Those reels are the life blood of the production and, if ever damaged or, even worse lost, it would be like hitting the undo button on hours or even days of production. However, it's not unusual to see those who shoot digitally treating their data like it's indestructible. The same attitude has to be applied to the ones and zeros as the celluloid and that means hard drives, lots of hard drives. Here's Shane Stanley's take. - CJ

Something I see every day that really pains me are screenwriters walking into the equivalent of career quicksand. I see this happening on various stages of writer’s journeys and sometimes they aren’t so much aimlessly wandering into trouble as gleefully diving right in to thunderous applause. Sometimes they are pushed. Here’s what I think screenwriters looking to build careers need to look out for while treading very carefully - CJ

Fancy an informal online webinar with an industry member that's done it all, exclusive to Script Revolution Rockstar members, to help you get ahead by having your filmmaking questions answered?

They say us filmmakers really make three movies; the one we write, the one we shoot, and the one we edit. The editor's job isn't so much just slicing camera angles together as reestablishing a narrative with what's been made available. In this blog, Shane Stanley a writer-director-producer with as many credits as he has years on the planet and a long history fixing people's dreams in the editing bay, talks about his relationship with the most important piece of software in the post-production process - CJ 

While every filmmaker dreams of using the best of the best when it comes to equipment, there will always be a trade-off between aspirations and budget, more so for those with low budgets than anyone else. Given the need to get as much money on the screen as possible, camera choice is one of the most critical decisions to make and it's easier than ever to suffer from choice paralysis. In this blog, Emmy Award winning producer-director Shane Stanley talks about his decision making process when he came to shoot Paloma's Flight - CJ 

It’s time for a bit of fun. Look, take this satirical blog post how you want. It’s not directed at anybody in particular but it does pull from various individuals I’ve watched trying to break in over the past eight years and points out a very real problem I seem to see every day within various online communities - there’s too many entitled screenwriters out there complaining about a lack of success while putting in the least amount of effort - CJ

We're all familiar with the saying "When One Door Closes, Another Door Opens" but does that apply now while millions of us around the globe close our doors and self isolate? Kevin Christoffersen of Film Education & Development, a producer with over twenty years experience to his name, puts forward a case to suggest opportunity is opening up all around us and makes the wise call for more screenwriters to stop waiting for Hollywood to come knocking and to strongly consider seizing this moment to produce their own projects - CJ

I'm super excited to announce we have industry stalwart Shane Stanley blogging on Script Revolution. Shane has done it all in Hollywood from winning Emmys in his teens, running production companies barely out of school, and having a #1 blockbuster (Gridiron Gang) to his name. Working with Shane on Break Even was a genuine pleasure and barely a day's gone by since without us speaking. He's now here with a series of blogs every aspiring filmmaker needs to follow, kicking off first with the importance of passion and leadership when directing - CJ

Script Revolution is now a little over three and a half years old and holds a database of nearly 7,000 scripts by over 6,000 writers. Month on month, thousands of scripts are downloaded. We are seeing success stories too as screenwriters option and sell scripts of all types from shorts to features. What started as a small community is growing into a significant industry movement as more and more people jump at the opportunity to host their scripts for free and make the most of being able to search through material without having to be part of an exclusive clique - CJ 

So, around six months ago, following the production of Break Even, a feature film I wrote on assignment staring Tasya Teles, James Callis, and Steve Guttenberg, I moved onto attaching myself to my second feature film project. As the lead producer negotiated signing on, they laid out their baggage which, to my surprise, included me, the screenwriter, becoming a co-producer. In this blog, I’m going to talk about what I’m learning from being on the other side, how I feel that impacts writing, and I how I believe screenwriters can get ahead - CJ

Some years ago, I wrote V-World, the pilot for a futuristic, sci-fi who-dun-it series set in a five star virtual reality resort.

“V-World is an expensive, five star, virtual reality resort where the pampered residents and guests can be whoever and whatever they want to be - The old can be young, the hideous can be gorgeous and sexual identity is fluid. For those who can afford it, V-World is an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet of delights, extravagance and guilty pleasures.

As an extrovert, one of the most insightful books I've ever read is Quiet; The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. It taught me a lot about how the other half find social interaction impacts their energy levels. Catherine's following article does a great job of explaining the every day life of the introverted writer and details many of the benefits that come with it - CJ

It’s twenty-twenty and time for some tough-talk. You know I’m slowly building a screenwriting career and I want to send the elevator back down as much as I can. There’s a LOT of misinformation out there, more than ever right now, and I feel the need to lay down ten truths every screenwriter trying to break in needs to know before they make bad decisions, end up going in circles, or even worse, give up on their dreams far too early - CJ

You know what made the A-Team great, besides the inherent dysfunction of their dynamic which provided a lot of humorous conflict to entertain us? It was that Hannibal always had a plan and, the second he lit up a cigar and took a few puffs with that trademark grin, we knew they were going to win. It’s time for you to win too and, while I certainly don’t want you to form a habit of smoking Cubans, I do want you to have a plan to succeed in 2020 - CJ

John Hunter returns once again offering one of his quick prep talks, something you need to keep going as a screenwriter with a spring in your step and goal in your mind regardless of any low self worth or fear of failure. May he have just one minute of your time to convince you to keep going and to stay on course toward your creative dreams? Go on, give it a read and take in the empowerment - CJ

I've found that, over the years, that many screenwriters have a complex relationship with rejection. Often turning to trite sayings such as "You've got to grow a thick skin", there's very little advice out there to really help us deal with the emotional rollercoaster of finding out creative efforts have failed to align with a reader. Enter Jonathan Peterson and one of the best summaries I've seen on how to balance our minds and move forward in a way that's both mindful and productive - CJ

As we head into the holiday season, we find ourselves stirred up by bright lights, jingling melodies, and copious quantities of sugar with the onus on being as merry as possible, content with life, and excited for the future. The reality is that life is hard and these mandatory festivities can really draw contrast with just what a dark place many of us writers often find ourselves - CJ

You see it every day on the forums, how do I break in? What’s the Goldilocks porridge of scripts that will guarantee success? How do I create that magic bullet? Who do I need to talk to to make it all happen? What's Hollywood looking for? DEAR GOD, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THIS CRAZY TOWN IS LOOKING FOR!? I empathise with this dilemma and I’m going to outline what I feel is a genuine strategy toward getting your foot in the door as a working screenwriter - CJ

If you are an artist trying to break into the creative arts industry, you are probably more than aware that a portfolio is essential to being taken seriously and shows what you have to offer the marketplace. However, what I’m seeing over and over again are amateurs who are failing to see what is probably the most valuable side of their offering and completely ignoring what is a critical component in their marketing strategy. Let’s talk about what you might be missing, how it’s holding you back, and what you can do about it - CJ

I’ve been wanting to write this article for some time because I think it’s important that I say what I want to say but I’ve also felt some conflict over potentially crossing a line. I’ve written a lot on business and craft but this may be perhaps a little invasive as I’m about to talk about how we financially manage our lives as artists who are trying to breakout of the corporate world and into the creative arts. I’m going to roll the dice, try and sell you the concept of lean living, and see if I get lynched - CJ

Okay that's perhaps a bit of an overly convoluted title but this isn’t a full guide supposed to cover every aspect of every deal a screenwriter can be presented with during their career. This is some basics to cover those early offers you may be presented with and to help you determine if you should maybe get excited or consider politely walking away into the sunset - CJ

There's something I want to get off my chest. My need to say this has come from what’s actually a wonderful forum thread I stumbled upon about script listing websites. I was delighted to see Script Revolution recommended along with the Black List and InkTip with a bunch of positive success stories surrounding it. After three years struggling to get the site off the ground, I have to admit I got a little misty-eyed. However, since I am a defensive pessimist, I of course had to find something to find a beef with and this beef has been brewing for a long time - CJ